


life’s a journey (you hold the map)

by lovedyoufirst



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Journalist Louis, M/M, Photographer Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-29
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-04-01 20:30:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4033549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovedyoufirst/pseuds/lovedyoufirst
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Harry is a photographer and Louis is a journalist for rival travel companies. They're forced to work together on a trip through Europe. Romantic things ensue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	life’s a journey (you hold the map)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [curlyfries](https://archiveofourown.org/users/curlyfries/gifts).



> alright so this wasn't easy to write i really hope you like it! it could've been longer im sorry i got busy with many other things (like exams and stuff) so i had to cut it short  
> i had the most amazing beta you know [who](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/strong/) you are thank you i love you

It all starts when Louis wakes up a good five minutes before his alarm clock is meant to go off. You see, working at a travel agency had always been Louis’ dream, but when he learned that he had to be up at 7 every morning, he really wasn’t sure how he was going to make it. As it turns out, now he’s been working at Travelwise for about 6 years now, and there’s absolutely nothing else he’d imagine himself doing.

 

Liam walks into his room at 7 o’clock sharp, a mug in hand and a large smile on his face. Louis still hasn’t figured out how his brain functions. No one is as happy as Liam at such an early hour. He’s actually pretty certain Liam’s an alien.

 

“Good to see you’re up, you’ve got so much to do today,” Liam says, handing Louis his mug.

 

Apart from being an alien, Liam’s probably the best person in the world in Louis’ opinion. He’s his assistant, sure, but he’s also his best mate and Louis is glad he didn’t choose someone else when Nick told him to make a choice between Liam and a girl called Eleanor. He ended up talking to Eleanor anyway when she became Nick’s own assistant a month later.

 

“What’s on the list then, Payno?” Louis asks, sitting up, careful not to spill any tea on his freshly cleaned bed sheets.

 

“Less than I thought, actually. You’ll probably be done in no time. You’ve got to finish up that article you’ve been writing about the pros and the cons of travelling to Canada in the winter. Plus, you’ve got a bunch of important letters to go through, and last but not least, Nick said he was gonna have you meet your new partner for the trip. He’ll call you to his office, or at least that’s what he told me.”

 

Louis lets out a sigh of relief. “God, you scared me there. That doesn’t seem that bad, I’ll be back here in no time.”

 

Liam just gives him a nod as he walks out of the room. Louis hurries to get dressed as he catches sight of the time. He wants to have enough time for breakfast so he practically runs down to the kitchen, his dress shirt half-undone (“Or half-done, Louis, there’s no actual difference between the two,” Liam used to say). He grabs his glass of orange juice and gulps it down in one go, making faces when he realizes it’s actually very cold.

 

“You could’ve warned me,” he scolds, hitting Liam hard on the stomach with his elbow. Liam groans, holding a hand to the assaulted spot.

 

“I’d kiss it better, but you’ve got Zayn for that, don’t you?” Louis teases as he shoots a wink in Liam’s direction, a slight smirk on his face. Louis really is annoying to Liam, but it’s only because he likes to push his buttons, just to see how far Liam will go until he freaks out and fights back.

 

“Fuck off,” Liam huffs defensively.

 

Louis laughs, but quickly goes back to messing with Liam. “After drinking some more tea, because that juice was fucking cold, Liam, jesus.”

 

Liam rolls his eyes, acting as if they didn’t have this conversation every morning. “Sorry mate, I’ll make sure to warn you next time,”

 

“You fucking better, yeah."

 

Deep down, Louis loves casual mornings with Liam. He wouldn’t want to have his day start any other way.

 

When they reach the office later, Louis is met with about a thousand cameras and flashes. He’s surprised to say the least, because who exactly are they here to see? Who’s the sought after person in this insignificant building?

 

“Why exactly are they here?” he asks, grabbing onto Liam’s arm. “Maybe someone really famous is in there, like David Beckham or something,”

 

“You’re wishing he’s in there, aren’t you?”

 

“You can’t prove that. Hit me if I’m wrong but—”

 

He doesn’t even get to finish his sentence because as soon as they step inside, Liam hits him hard on the back of his head.

 

“Fucking twat, see if I ever talk to you again,” Louis spits, stomping his foot like a child. Sometimes, it’s like Louis forgets he’s actually 28, he has no idea when he’s gonna stop doing that. Liam claims it’s because he’s still a kid at heart and who’s Louis to argue with that?

 

“Nice to see you’re in the best mood, Tomlinson,” a voice says as they reach the elevator. Louis slowly turns around to face his boss.

 

“Always, Grimshaw. Ever seen me sad, huh? I don’t think so,” Louis smiles menacingly.

 

“You think you’re so tough,” Nick replies as he steps into the elevator first.

 

Louis laughs loudly, following suit. “You’re not wrong. I do think that, because it’s the truth.”

 

This is going to be a long day.

 

The day goes by pretty fast and all that’s been sitting on the top of Louis’ mind is a simple question – or maybe two, actually. Why are there paparazzis in front of their building, and who are they here for? It’s been hard for him these past few days trying to finish this article, but with these questions bothering him, it's taken him even longer. It’s when Nick calls him up to his office that he gets nervous.

 

Nick only calls people up to his office when he’s angry or annoyed with something they’ve done, but Louis hasn’t done anything that could cause Nick to be either – apart from making fun of his hair, but he does that every day – so he’s not sure why he’s being called up there. The nerves kick in for a few seconds then he lets out a sigh of relief because when he double checks his list to see if he’s got all the job done, he notices an odd looking message sitting at the very bottom of the page.

 

_Nick will call you up to his office to meet your new partner for Travelwise’s annual trip to Europe._

 

It suddenly all makes sense. He shakes his head and continues his walk to Nick’s office with a relaxed attitude. What’s the worst that could happen, anyway?

 

He knocks on the door, once and then another time until a rather well-built guy opens it for him. “Who’re you?”

 

“Louis Tomlinson,” he replies, rolling his eyes and showing him his ID. “Can I go in now?”

 

“Oh- Yeah, of course,” he replies, awkwardly getting the door open for him to step inside.

 

Two chairs are empty, while two are already taken by people Louis is sure to have seen before. Then, when the man with the curly hair turns around to shake his hand, Louis finally understands.

 

“Hey, you’re Harry Styles,” Louis says, looking at him straight in the eye.

 

Harry laughs, a dimple showing on his left cheek. “That’s really not how I introduce myself to my partners usually but, yes. You’re Louis Tomlinson,”

 

It’s a weird first encounter but it really isn’t how Louis imagined meeting Harry Styles. According to magazines and articles, the two of them are rivals, and have been for a couple of years now, but if Louis had to be completely honest, he’s not even sure how that rivalry started.

 

“That’d be me, mate. I’m sorry, I’m just really impressed and quite a big fan of your work so it’s great to actually work with you. That explains why there were so many paparazzis outside, they were all here for you,”

 

“Pretty much, yeah. So, Louis, you don’t mind that our companies are rivals, right? I mean, it wouldn’t hurt to forget about it for a few seconds, you know. I only joined you for one project and if you don’t mind having me then I’d love to help you and Travelwise so we can make this trip, with the article you’ll have to write at the end, the best trip ever. I mean, I really shouldn’t be doing this, but Nick’s a good friend of mine and he basically begged me to help since your old photographer got fired. Hope I don’t do a bad job replacing him for a bit, though.”

 

 _You’re already doing a fine job_ , Louis wants to say, but sometimes it’s best for him to keep quiet. Harry looks serious. His face is kind of endearing when he talks business.

 

“No problem with me, mate. I won’t tell if you won’t tell. I reckon that’s how it works, right Curly?” Louis says, and thank god Liam isn’t here because he can tell when Louis attempts to flirt with people. They’ve only met a few minutes ago and Louis is already using nicknames. Actually, maybe Liam really should be here right now so that Louis doesn’t look bad in front of a) Nick, the man who rules his career, and b) Harry, this beautiful new guy he's apparently going to see a lot of soon.

 

Harry nods once, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, alright.”

 

It’s a bit boring when Nick explains the trip to them all over again, but when Liam comes in, it all starts stirring. Liam explains to them how the trip is going to go, and which places they get to visit and the meeting becomes exciting for a while. Sadly, as soon as he’s done, the room falls back to timid silence.

 

Harry is the first to speak up, though. “So, Louis, I thought we might want to get to know each other before we leave on our big trip. What do you think about dinner with me and Niall tonight?” He gestures at the blonde boy sitting in the other chair. “Liam can tag along if he wants to, it’ll be like a lads night out or something.”

 

“I’d love that, yeah. You in, Payno?” Louis replies, then he looks at Liam for answers.

 

“That sounds fun,” Liam smiles, nodding. “And thanks lads for having us. We’ll be showing ourselves out now. Have a nice evening, Grimshaw. I hope Louis didn’t ruin your entire day by being a twat.”

 

Nick laughs, then actually shakes his head. “Wasn’t that bad today, actually. It’s probably because seeing the paps outside the door made him think about Beckham being in our building. Got him trapped in a fantasy land all day.”

 

“My words exactly. I told Louis that this morning when we came in, you should’ve seen his face,” Liam tells Nick, laughing even harder. Even Niall joins them.

 

“He,” Louis says, pointing to himself, “is right here. Are you all quite finished?”

 

Louis would be lying if there wasn’t a smile trying to force itself on his face right now.

 

They get to Rosso’s at about seven in the evening and Louis is starving. They’ve been in the limousine – yes, Louis is proud to say he’s been in a limousine at least once – for about 20 minutes when it comes to an halt in front of the fancy restaurant.

 

“The food here seems really expensive, judging by the look of this place,” Louis comments as he steps out of the car. “You could’ve brought us to a fast food restaurant and we would’ve been satisfied, Curly.”

 

Harry shrugs, opening the door for them. “It’s not too bad, plus you’re not paying for anything so why are you complaining?”

 

Louis has only met Harry today but he really loves this side of him. It’s like it never shows when he’s talking business but now they’re out as friends so Harry’s acting more casual. It’s nice.

 

“Touché,” Louis says, following Liam and Niall into the restaurant.

 

They get assigned a table at the back, where Harry won’t be seen by paparazzis. It must be hard to be famous. Harry looks like he loves it, though, so there may be some pros along with the cons.

 

“Hey, Harry,” Louis says, as Harry looks up from his menu, “do you ever get used to being followed around by paps every day?”

 

“I don’t think you can actually get used to it but it gets to a point that you just don’t care about them anymore. Or you know, just try and consider them as your friends for a bit. It’s cool, though, like they mean no harm at all, they just want to take pictures. They’re a bit like me, actually, if you look at it this way,”

 

Louis grins. “As long as they don’t hurt you. So, Niall, are you his bodyguard or something? You look awfully skinny for a bodyguard. There’s no way you’d be able to protect Harry from being attacked with your chicken legs. Or maybe–”

 

Liam interrupts him. It’s actually a brilliant idea to have Liam around when Louis meets important people. “I think that’s enough, Louis, yeah? He’s got the point, just let him answer your question.”

 

That shuts Louis right up.

 

“Really sorry, mate. That was rude,” Louis says, a sorry look on his face.

 

It’s Niall’s reaction that confuses them most. He starts laughing, hysterically and he shakes his head. “God, mate, no need to apologize, that was really funny. I’m not his bodyguard, Harry has Paul for that. I’m actually his assistant, just like Liam is yours, I suppose.”

 

Louis laughs. “Sick, so we’re all business twins. Shall we order then?”

 

They all nod.

 

The night is young so they all start talking about their jobs and about fun things to do in London while Liam spends most of the meal on his phone, barely eating any of his food.

 

“So, Liam, what’s more important than us that’s keeping you on your phone,” Niall asks, taking Liam’s phone from his hands. He starts scrolling through the texts messages and laughs. “Who types like this, Liam? Honestly, is it so hard for you to write the whole word? That Zayn guy probably doesn’t even understand what you’re saying,”

 

That sets Louis off. “Zayn’s actually his boyfriend. I’m sure he doesn’t mind the way Liam texts, he’s so in love with Liam that he doesn’t notice.”

 

“I love couples. How long have you guys been dating?” Harry interrupts, a smile on his face.

 

Before Louis can warn Harry, telling him not to bring Liam’s relationship with Zayn in a conversation, Liam’s eyes light up and his lips start moving. “Four years, I think. We’ve known each other since forever though, so it’s almost like we’ve been dating since the day we became friends, really.”

 

“Aw,” Harry coos, almost begging Liam to tell him more about him. Louis decides it’s a good idea to tune them out for a bit. He looks over to Niall instead.

 

“We went out for dinner so that me and Harry could get to know each other and all we’ve been talking about is work and Liam. So much for getting to know each other, right Curly?” Louis jokes, finishing his plate.

 

Niall looks at Harry and then shifts his eyes at Louis. “I doubt you guys won’t get along, you already have a nickname for Harry and you’ll have plenty of time to actually get to know him on the trip. Like Liam said earlier, ’s just a lads night out.”

 

All’s well that ends well, then.  

 

___________

 

The trip starts on a Monday. It’s early, way too early for someone to be awake. Louis makes sure he’s got everything before Liam drives him to the airport as he promised.

 

“You know, Payno, I think I might miss you a little,” Louis says, sincere. He and Liam have a funny kind of friendship, always making fun of the other for stupid reasons, but they’re honestly the best of friends.

 

Louis’ comment makes Liam smile, even though he’s trying to focus on the road ahead. “Yeah, I know. I’ll miss you too, you twat.”

 

“You better. I’d be insulted if you didn’t,” Louis jokes, the crinkles by his eyes now prominent. It’s easy banter, really, and Liam enjoys it so much even though he pretends like he doesn’t.

 

Liam laughs, but also tilts his head to the left to look at Louis once they’ve stopped to a red light. “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you I wouldn’t miss you, Tommo,”

 

Louis nods at that, a smile tugging at his lips. “That's also true. Take care, I’ll see you soon. Also, since I’m gone, you might wanna take that to your advantage and invite Zayn over and stuff. But I better not see you and him on our couch when I come back, Leemo. I swear,” Louis warns, giving Liam a pointed look before stepping out of the car.

 

Liam hums, but stays quiet.

 

“Alright, get out and give me a cuddle, you prat,” Louis says, welcoming Liam into his open arms. Liam unbuckles and hops out of the car and – although he’s a bit hesitant at first – gives Louis a tight bro hug.

 

“Wouldn’t wanna hug you for too long, your boyfriend has eyes everywhere,”

Louis jokes, not wanting to miss his final opportunity to pester Liam.

 

That makes Liam groan as he pulls away from the hug to hit Louis on the forearm. “You twat, as if I’d let you go without a hug. You’re my best friend. He’s not the only one who’s important.”

 

Louis laughs, nodding. “Good. I am pretty important, y’know.”

 

“God, shut up and get inside already, you’ll miss your plane,” Liam instructs, pushing Louis towards the door forcefully.

 

“I’d expect you to be less happy to see me leave. You wound me.”

 

Liam ignores him. It’s better this way, really.

 

“I’ll text you if there’s anything I need, alright. And, if you ever get stuck on writer’s block for your article, just send me a text to let me know, alright?”

 

Louis nods before setting off through the sliding doors of the airport. Once he’s in, he waves at Liam one last time then goes to get his luggage checked.

 

Soon enough, it’s time.

 

The plane ride isn’t as bad as Louis anticipated. Liam has told him many times that when you don’t know if you and another person will get along or not, you should try and ease the tension by making the other person laugh. It’s infallible.

 

“So, Curly, were you trying to look like a tourist? I mean, I'm assuming that's the whole point of this outfit,” Louis jokes as he takes a look at Harry from head to toe.

 

Harry shrugs. “That’s what we are, isn’t it? So I thought I might as well just wear a floral shirt, you know. Is there anything wrong with this outfit, Louis?”

 

“No. I was just saying,” Louis ends innocently. He racks his brain for more ice breaking questions. “Is this your first time on a plane?”

 

Harry looks at Louis with wide eyes. “God, is it that obvious?”

 

That makes Louis laugh. Harry looks quite nervous. Even though he’s covering his eyes with his sunglasses, he knows that Harry is stressed, anxious even.

 

“There’s nothing wrong with that, trust me. I’m sure you’ll be fine, partner.”

 

Harry shoots him a smile before taking his sunglasses off only to let them lay on his thighs. “That’s not what Niall said. He said he hopes the plane crashes. So much for being reassuring.”

 

“He’s your best mate, Harry, it’s his job to make you panic before your first flight. And, you know what that songs says. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” he says with a wink.

 

“You did not just quote Kelly Clarkson,”

 

“Ah, but I’m pretty sure I did,”

 

Harry shuffles into his seat, taking his phone from his pocket to look at the time. “That song’s such a hit. I’ve sang it many times while drunk, according to videos I’m shown the days after.”

 

“Good to know. Fully paid trips are the best way to get drunk, so we’ll see what you can do,” Louis suggests, knowing he’s got Harry’s full attention.

 

Harry laughs – although it comes out in the form of a semi-giggle – and puts a hand in front of his mouth. “I’ve never made that noise before. But, back to business, I’m the best at karaoke even when drunk.”

 

“I’d say watch your back, Curly. I’m quite the pro as well. Maybe even the king.”

 

Harry chuckles as he takes a look outside, peering through the porthole. “Wait, we’re already flying? I didn't even feel the take off. God, this is so strange, what if the plane crashes?”

 

“The plane won't crash, but hey, I’ve done quite a good job at distracting you, haven’t I? We’ve been flying for a while and you haven’t even noticed,” Louis says proudly.

 

“Louis,” he exclaims, looking through the porthole once more. “I did it! I’ve read online that the scariest part is when the plane takes off, is that right?”

 

“That’s when people get the most anxious I guess, yeah.”

 

“Nice,” Harry exclaims, a smile on his face. He changes the subject, but Louis decides to let it go. “So, since we’re rivals and all, you won’t mind telling me about what your company is planning on doing to raise their sales this year,”

 

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Louis banters, showing Harry his pearly whites as he smiles at him.

 

“That’s exactly why I asked, innit?”

 

Louis scoffs. “I think you’re forgetting that we’re rivals, Curly. There’s no way in hell I would share information about our company with you.”

 

“Alright. I’m gonna get it out of you somehow though, believe me.”

 

Louis only laughs louder at that because Harry is always setting goals for himself and he never believes he won’t achieve them. It’s kind of cute, really.

 

“Yeah yeah, now that you’ve gone through the worst part of flying in an aircraft and that you’ve weakly attempted to have me reveal secrets about my company, do you mind if I sleep for a bit? I’m exhausted,” Louis asks, poking Harry on the shoulder.

 

“You can sleep, yeah. We’ve got what, 4 hours left until we land?”

 

Louis nods, pulling out his phone and headphones. A familiar song comes on as soon as he hits shuffle, and he lets the quiet sound of the music help him fall asleep. Brandon Flower’s voice rings in his ears for as long as he can remember before Harry speaks.

 

“Then I’ll let you sleep, Lou. Thanks for what you did, it’s really cool of you.”

 

Louis mumbles his answer and falls asleep. “No problem, Curly. Good night, now. You might wanna get a bit of sleep as well."

 

The next time he wakes up, Louis’s got Harry’s head on his shoulder. He hears the air hostess on the intercom telling all passengers that they will be landing shortly. Also, she mentioned to make sure everyone was awake with their seatbelts on, which made Louis turn over to shake Harry from his slumber.

 

“Harry, wake up. We’re landing soon,” he says, shaking him awake softly. “We can either do this the easy way or the hard way, so I suggest you wake up, mate,” he adds.

 

Harry’s eyes open wide, as he gets his head off Louis’ shoulder to sit in his seat properly. “Mornin’ rival, it’s amazing how threats make you wake up faster than usual,” he says, voice groggy seeing as he just woke up. He’s got a smile on his face, and it’s contagious, because Louis reciprocates it almost immediately.

 

“Still stuck on that rival thing, aren’t you?”

 

Harry laughs, hand on his tummy. “You’re never gonna let me live this down, are you?”

 

“Probably not, Curly. Unless you beg for it, then I might consider it.”

 

As the plane slows down, wheels coming out of their sockets, the air hostess keeps talking through the mic to tell everyone not to forget their luggages or bags that might’ve slid under their seats during the flight.

“Hope you all had a nice flight, and welcome to Gothenburg, Sweden. It’s currently 15 degrees outside, we hope you enjoy your stay.”

 

It’s all weird when they step into the airport. The swedish language really doesn’t have anything to do with English so it makes everything harder but Liam’s made sure to find a guide that spoke both English and Swedish to help them out while they visit. Everything at the Swedish airport is so different yet so similar to London. When they land, Louis watches the sunrise through the porthole. It’s a mix of a bright shade of yellow and a dark shade of orange, with pink highlights in the middle and it’s really nice to look at. Louis doesn’t come off as a person that likes to watch sunrises, but you’d be surprised how much he actually likes them. He grabs his phone and takes a few pictures, careful not to wake Harry. He sends one to Liam, then sends a picture of Harry sleeping to Niall.

 

“You really are a child in the morning, Liam was right,” Harry mumbles as he looks at Louis’ phone and sees the picture he sent.

 

Louis shrugs. “Maybe, but come on. We’re the only ones on the plane, people left, like, ages ago,”

 

They are ushered out by a man, well-built, as he tells them the directions to their luggages. Harry puts his hood on as they walk into the airport, the smell of donuts in the air. It’s like each airport you go has a different smell, and this one’s donuts and cinnamon. Louis can smell some good cinnamon rolls from a mile away.

 

“Can we please stop at Starbucks before getting our luggage? I really don’t think I can make it through the day without my morning tea,” Louis pleas, pulling on Harry’s arm.

 

“Sure, I’ll go grab our luggage and you do that, alright?”

 

They part ways for a bit and when Louis comes back, they’re heading out, looking for a taxi that’ll take them to the hotel. It’s not as pretty as it was when they woke up when they step outside. The sky is filled with clouds and there’s barely any sun breaking through them. There’s a mountain on the left and another one on the right and it looks like rain’s coming their way. They could wait until tomorrow to officially start their trip, that’d be the best.

 

They both doze off into the taxi, and when they’re close to reaching the hotel, Louis’ phone buzzes in his pocket. It’s a text from Niall.

 

 **Niall** : _Your boss is kind of weird. He’s making me and Liam do all your dirty work._

 

That makes Louis laugh as he unlocks his phone to reply.

 

 **Louis** : _Haha, serves you right for telling Harry the plane would crash !! He was proper scared, mate._

 

He snaps another picture of Harry before sending it to Niall.

 

 **Louis** : _He slept on the plane and now he’s still sleeping. Don’t know what you to do him, but he looks dead tired._

 

Niall’s 2 messages come in almost instantly.

 

 **Niall** : _Poor guy, really. I’m sure he didn’t mind getting through it with you, though. Holding his hand and everything, I’m sure you’ve done that._

 

 **Niall** : _I don’t do anything to him. He’s the one that stays up late watching romantic comedies. Don’t blame me, Hahahaha_

 

Louis looks at Harry and he really does look like a person who would stay up all night watching romantic comedies. He replies to Niall once more before putting his phone back into his pocket.

 

 **Louis** : _I did not hold his hand. I’ve no idea where you got your information. I distracted him though, didn’t even notice we were flying Haha :) !!!!!_

 

The taxi comes to a stop, and the driver mumbles in an actually very good english that they need to pay about 18 euros. Louis gives him 20 and tells him to keep the change as he wakes Harry up once again, poking his belly this time.

 

“Curly, we’re here, wake up,” he says, taking his sunglasses off.

 

“Wasn’t even sleeping,” Harry mutters, getting out of the cab. He grabs his suitcase as they enter the hotel.

 

It’s huge and it looks like a palace. It’s a 5 star hotel – “Of course, I wasn’t gonna let you sleep in filthy beds, Louis,” Niall had argued when Louis refused to let him book the hotel – and by the looks of it, it’s absolutely breathtaking.

 

When they’re all settled and checked-in, Louis lays on his bed, under the covers and falls asleep. If all they’re gonna do on this trip is sleep, then the article Louis will be writing at the end won’t be very convincing.

 

 _Give it a few days_ , he tells himself.

 

____________

 

It’s in Paris that Louis finds himself having the most fun. They’ve managed to go to the eiffel tower in the morning, then walk past the Arc de Triomphe, and grab some lunch. Harry looks like he’s enjoying himself the most, as they walk through the city. He takes pictures of almost everything, keeping his camera around his neck, in case something beautiful were to happen. “I’ve got to have my camera ready all the time, Lou,” he had said, “you never know what could happen.” He’s the photographer, Louis decided that it’d be best if he didn’t argue.

 

After eating lunch, they stopped at a souvenir shop where Harry almost bought the entirety of the shop. He bought a t-shirt for his sister, a bracelet for his mom, about a dozen postcards and stamps to send to his family later on, and last but not least, a picture frame with _J’aime la France_ scribbled at the bottom. Louis only bought postcards, but he thought it was enough.

 

“So, you’ve mentioned your mom once or twice and now just mentioned your sister. Do you not talk about your dad? Maybe I’m fishing for information that you don’t wanna talk about, sorry Curly,”

 

“No, it’s not that I don’t talk about him. ‘S just- He left my mom when we were younger and she had to take care of me and Gem on her own, so. I’ve just never really had a father figure in my life, so I don’t talk about him because he’s never actually been there, y’know?” Harry explains, thoroughly.

 

Louis frowns. “Really? I’m sorry he did that, it’s kind of a dick move. My dad did the same thing, though. Packed his stuff and left while I was just 3 years old. My mom had to take care of me and my sisters on her own and since I left her to work in London, I feel like I’ve let her down. Like, it’s weird to think she was relying on me to help her take care of our family. We’re all okay now, though, she’s found a new husband and he takes care of my sisters and she’s very happy,”

 

Harry smiles, handing the money to the cashier as he pays for his stuff. “You talk so highly of your mom. We’ve got that in common,”

 

“Well, Curly. I’ll have you know she’s the greatest woman alive. I’m quite a mommy’s boy as well, though, doesn’t help my case,” Louis says with a chuckle.

 

They pay for their stuff and leave. It’s around 4pm when they get into The Louvre - mainly because Harry spent about 15 minutes outside taking pictures of people walking in front of the museum and pictures of the museum itself in various angles - and it’s packed with people. Tourists, mainly, but also a lot of people who have french as their first language. It’s fascinating, really.

 

When they reach the Ship of Fools, painted by Bosch, Louis and Harry both stop to admire the art.

 

“This is one of my favorite paintings,” Louis says. “It’s so amazing and it must’ve taken the artist so, so long.”

 

Harry’s in shock, because for one, he didn’t take Louis as the kind of person to enjoy paintings, or any form of art. Don’t judge a book by its cover, he thinks. “This is a great painting, Lou. I’m a little biased, but, my favorite painting here is definitely the Mona Lisa.”

 

They keep visiting the Louvre for a few more hours, and when they finally get out, it’s almost night time. The city’s lights are all turned on and it’s insanely beautiful. Louis whispers in Harry’s ear to take a picture of the scenery, and he doesn’t hesitate to take a few. The walk side by side to the Eiffel Tower, just to see it with the thousand lights on, and once they get there, it’s a sight that you wouldn’t want to miss.

 

“C’est beau, n’est-ce pas?” a voice comes from behind them, and they both turn around.

 

“Oui, vraiment. Nous sommes chanceux d’avoir une si belle vue de la tour, même en soirée,” Harry replies, in a perfect french and Louis’ eyes widen in surprise.

 

The man waves at them, walking to the opposite direction.

 

“Alright, Curly. You didn’t want to tell me you mastered the french language until now, yeah? Because that, mate, was beautiful. I didn’t understand a thing you were saying but– well, it was amazing,” Louis says, still amazed by the turn of events.

 

Harry laughs at that, not too sure what to reply. “Didn’t think I’d get the chance to speak it, to be quite honest. I’ll translate what he said though. He said the scenery was beautiful and I replied that yes, it was, and that we were so lucky to have such a great view of the Eiffel Tower, even at night.”

 

“How’d you learn all that? But you’re right, it is beautiful at night. It tops what we saw this morning, I’d say.”

 

And if Harry ends up taking a picture of Louis in front of the lit Eiffel Tour for his own needs, then no one needs to know.

 

____________

  


The next time Louis receives a text from Niall, they’re in Berlin, walking through the streets. It’s calm, almost too calm, and his phone buzzes, making everyone in the vicinity turn around to look at him.

 

 **Niall** : _That girl you work with, Barbara. ‘s she single, d’you think?_

Louis shakes his head in disbelief as he replies to the text message.

 

 **Louis** : _She is :) Why you askin’? ‘re you gonna make a move on her or something? Liam’s gonna have your head hahaha !!_

 

He pockets his phone and keeps tries to walk at a fast pace to keep up with Harry who’s already a street corner ahead. When he does, catch up to him that is, Louis is completely out of breath.

 

“So, Curly, did you take good pictures of the city? The ones you took in Paris were sick,” Louis says, breathing through his nose loudly.

 

Harry grabs his camera and takes a picture of Louis, who’s bent down, hands on his knees and cheeks a very pale tint of pink. “I did, although this one would be a great picture to put on the cover of the issue you’re writing, wouldn’t it?”

 

Louis laughs and fetches Harry’s camera to look at the ones he took so far today. He’s got this really good picture of the Berlin wall, and one picture where it looks like Berlin in its entirety managed to fit into one picture. It’s truly amazing. “Jesus, Curly. You’re really good at this, aren’t you?”

 

“I guess, thanks Lou. My mom tells me it’s because I like to view things differently, I reckon she’s right. Niall also likes the way I take pictures. He says I’m only good because I have curly hair, though. Which, really, isn’t a valid argument but I’ll take it,” Harry replies with a smile, taking his camera back from Louis’ grip only to snap a picture of the sun’s rays reflecting on a house roof. It seems so simple.

 

They walk back to the hotel, after that, and Louis’ exhausted. He’s not used to walking, it’s not really his cup of tea, but that’s all they’ve been doing today.

 

“You should get used to walking, Lou, that’s basically all we’ll be doing,” Harry says, teasing. “I’m kidding, next country we’re going, I suggest we rent a car. It’s in our budget, innit?”

 

And that’s what they do.

 

They’re driving across Italy when Louis first realizes he’s attracted to Harry. The car they rented is a convertible and Harry’s long unruly hair is blown by the wind, and there’s so much hair on his face. Harry’s so beautiful. Harry’s smile takes up his whole face and Louis tries really hard not to stare, but it’s not like he can really help it.

 

A song comes on and Louis closes his eyes. He tries to tell himself that maybe he just finds Harry attractive but then he realizes that even though they’ve known each other for less than 3 weeks and he’s just so infatuated with him already. He supposes Harry has that kind of effect on people.

 

They keep driving for what feels like ages and when they come to a stop, Louis doesn’t realize that he fell asleep with the same song on repeat.

 

“Alright, Curly, we’ve got two options. We go back to the hotel, sleep for a bit and go out to the bar for the night or –”

 

“Let’s do that. We haven’t been out yet, it would be fun. A quick power nap, a shower, and we’ll be ready to go.”

 

The hotel room’s cozy when they settle in, cozier than the hotel rooms they’ve had in every country they’ve visited. The only issue is that there’s only one bed. Louis only realizes that when he comes back from his shower to see Harry already in bed, eyes shut tight.

 

“You don’t mind sharing, do you, Curly?” Louis asks, shaking Harry a little.

 

“I was awake, Lou. Hop in, though, before it gets cold.”

 

Louis laughs and takes his shirt off before he lies in bed beside Harry. He’s unable to sleep for a good 15 minutes, staring at Harry’s sleeping figure beside him. It’s funny how you can be infatuated with someone you barely know. He falls asleep with that thought on his mind.

 

When he wakes up again, Harry’s at the bathroom, and it’s a quarter past 9 in the evening. The club that was just around the corner opened at 8:50, so they’d be just fashionably late. Louis puts a simple white t-shirt on, with a pair of black jeans as he slides his phone into his pocket, rummaging through his suitcase to find a pair of vans. It’s a simple outfit, really.

 

Harry, on the other hand, is wearing a black sheer button up shirt with black jeans and Louis is biting on his lip to keep his jaw from dropping at the sight. It’s starting to get really weird, crushing on Harry. Now would be a good time for Harry to make a comment about them being rivals.

 

They make their way to the club, in silence. Louis has a feeling Harry is ignoring him for some reason, but he shoves that thought at the back of his mind because they’re out to have some fun, not to sulk. But, the thing is, Louis is kind of a weird drunk. He’s either a very happy drunk or a very sad drunk, and there’s no in between – hence one of the main reasons why he didn’t want to go out with Harry at first – and there’s nothing more embarrassing than hearing about the weird things you said the night prior by the guy you like.

 

Once they get to the bar, Louis turns to Harry. “Hey, Curly. You want anything?”

 

Harry smiles at him and nods. “Yeah, something strong.”

 

They end up doing tequila shots. Louis ignores what Harry says as he takes two shots himself, asking Harry to do the same.

 

“C’mon, Curly. Tequila shots are fun. Let loose a little, have some fun,” Louis says, his hand on Harry’s shoulder.

 

“You don’t even know the beginning of it, pal,” Harry says, downing two more shots as he and Louis erupt in laughter.

 

After another round of shots, Harry grabs Louis’ arm, his grip tight, and asks him to go on the dancefloor with him, and who is Louis to say no to a guy like that.

 

“C’mon, Louis, pleaaaase,” he begs.

 

“Fine, god, you’re lucky you’re cute,” and god, no, please say he didn’t say that.

 

Louis regrets saying that as soon as it comes out of his mouth.

 

“You think I’m cute, huh?”

 

“I-Uh, I mean, technically speaking, you-uh, like, I mean—” Louis is never this flustered. He clears his throat once before saying, “You are, though. Cute, that is.”

 

“‘M just messing with you. Thanks, Lou, but dance with me, please,” Harry says, pulling on Louis’ free arm forcefully.

 

Louis nods, as he lets Harry lead them to the dance floor. The way their bodies move against each other is way messier than what it should be, but again, Louis has got to blame it on the strong drinks he and Harry have shared over the past few minutes, drinks that he probably should’ve have drank at all because now he’s fully drunk and he doesn’t think before acting.

 

When the song changes, he doesn’t even get to shake his hips to beat of the song that Harry takes his arm and pulls him outside. He’s surprised, not to say the least, but he follows him out nonetheless. As soon as they step out of the club, the hot italian air hits their faces, wind blowing through their hair. Louis can still hear the music, the beat thumping loudly and he starts humming the song, only loud enough so Harry can hear.

 

“Hi,” Louis breathes out once he’s pushed against the wall, held by the shoulders. Harry is so, so tall and Louis finds that so, so attractive.

 

“Hi,”

 

And it stops there, really. One word and Louis gets on the tip of his toes, to fit his lips right in between Harry’s to kiss him. It starts nice and slow, like all kisses do but then it gets dirtier as one of Harry’s hands leaves Louis’ shoulder to grab the back of his neck, bringing him closer. And Louis’ got one hand in Harry’s hair and by the sounds he makes every single time Louis pulls on it tightly, Harry really likes that. After what feels like an eternity, Louis pulls back. Then he looks at Harry, and brings their lips together again, this time softer and slower. Harry pulls away after that, a huge smile plastered on his face as he peppers Louis’ neck with open mouth kisses.

 

“God,” Louis breathes out, and it’s just that kissing never felt that good before.

 

“It’s okay, you can call me Harry,” he replies cheekily.

 

“You’re an idiot, but I’m so fond of you,” Louis says, pressing his lips against Harry’s once more. “You know,” he adds, “I thought you were mad at me when we first entered the club. Thought you’d be ignoring me all night and that I’d have to get you drunk so that you’d admit why you were ignoring me.”

 

Harry smiles, leaning forward to press a kiss atop Louis’ nose. “I’m quite fond of you too, actually. And, I was mad, I s’pose. Just thought it was crazy to have feelings for someone you’d only just met but it turns out I’m not the only one that’s crazy, huh.”

 

As Harry intertwines their fingers together, Louis really couldn’t think of a better ending for this trip. He really couldn’t.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> all mistakes are my own i hope you enjoyed it as much as i enjoyed writing it :)
> 
> comments & kudos are always appreciated xx


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